[GUEST ACCESS MODE: Data is scrambled or limited to provide examples. Make requests using your API key to unlock full data. Check https://lunarcrush.ai/auth for authentication information.]  20th Century Boxing: Icons, Memories & More [@20thCentBoxIMM](/creator/twitter/20thCentBoxIMM) on x XXX followers Created: 2025-07-18 08:09:11 UTC Vicente Saldivar comes out of a brief retirement to win a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Legra on July 18, 1969 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. UPI, which unofficially scored it 7-4 in favor of Saldivar, would write: "Former world featherweight champion Vicente Saldivar, XXX 1/2, battered Jose Legra, 128, for a unanimous XX round decision last night and may have earned a crack at the title after a XX month retirement. Legra repeatedly stung the shorter Saldivar with right hand leads in the early rounds and floored him for a mandatory eight count in the 3rd with a right to the chin. But Saldivar began to hammer away at Legra's body in the 4th round and got stronger and sharper as the contest progressed. He staggered the tiring Legra twice in the 9th and had him on the verge of a knockdown throughout the final round." "I felt it was the only evaluation I could get of myself." -Vicente Saldivar, on why he took on one of the toughest featherweights in the world for his first comeback bout. Immediately after this bout Promoter George Parnassus offered world featherweight champion Johnny Famechon of Australia a $XXXXXX guarantee to fight Saldivar for the title. Saldivar would win a 15-round UD over Famechon in May of 1970 for the WBC Featherweight Title. ---------------------------------------------------------- Born in Cuba but fighting out of Spain, Jose Legra was a two-time WBC Featherweight Champion (1968-69 and 1972-73) who'd lose his title both times in his first defense. the first time to Johnny Famechon, the second to Eder Jofre. 129-11-4 with XX KO's, he fought from 1960-73, with wins over Rafiu King and Howard Winstone and losses to Johnny Famechon, Vicente Saldivar, Eder Jofre and, in his final career bout, to then rising featherweight contender Alexis Arguello. ---------------------------------------------------------- Vicente Saldivar, 37-3-0 with XX KO wins, is a name that is forgotten by some but he was Mexico's first great Featherweight Champion well over a decade before the legendary Salvador Sanchez came along. Born in one of the barrios on the outskirts of Mexico City, Vicente Saldivar at an early age would often get into fights both on the streets and in school, and developed a reputation around the area. Fearing that Vicente would head down the wrong path, his father decided to try to guide his energy into a sport where you could get recognition and praise for fighting: Boxing. So he took Vicente into a boxing gym where he would fall in love with the sport and became a successful amateur, winning the Mexican Golden Gloves as a Bantamweight. That victory would grant the 17-year-old Saldivar a spot on the Mexican Olympic team for the 1960 Olympics in Rome(The same Olympics where a young man named Cassius Clay would win a gold medal at Light Heavyweight). His Olympic dream wouldn't last long as he would be eliminated in the first round of the tournament against Ernst Chervet of Switzerland. In his first few years as a pro, Saldivar built up a record of 16-0 (13 KOs) before he would suffer defeat at the hands of Cuba's Baby Luis via DQ in 1962. The following year he fixed the wrong by knocking out Luis in the 8th round of their rematch. He fought X more times that same year before, in 1964 he would get a chance to win the Mexican Featherweight title against Juan Ramirez, knocking him out in X rounds. He had defended the title once when he got an opportunity he couldn't refuse, a fight with the #1 ranked Featherweight at the time, Ismael Laguna of Panama, with the winner receiving a shot at the title. By the time he faced Saldivar, Ismael Laguna's record was at 34-1 and he had already won the Panamanian Featherweight title. In the battle of the two Ffeatherweight prospects, Saldivar would take a XX round decision and, with the victory, get his shot at the world title. That same year, he would fight the then WBC and WBA Featherweight Champion, Cuban-Mexican Sugar Ramos. The fight was at El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos in Mexico City and most experts chose Ramos to win the fight, believing Ultiminio's experience would ultimately win the day over Saldivar's raw aggression and power. However, in an epic and thrilling war between the two men fighting out of Mexico City, Saldivar surprised many by taking the initiative and wearing down the Cuban-Mexican with his vicious body attack. It was simply too much for Ramos, and after the 11th round, he retired on his stool. Vicente Saldivar was now the new WBA and WBC Featherweight Champion. Saldivar would make seven title defenses, retiring after his third win over "The Welsh Wizard", Howard Winstone, in 1967. ---------------------------------------------------------- From boxrec: Upon Vicente's retirement, the WBA & WBC declared the Featherweight Championship vacant and ordered their top contenders to fight for their respective titles. For the WBA, the top X contenders were Saldivar's former opponent Raul Rojas, & Enrique Higgins of Colombia. In the beginning, Rojas took the lead against Higgins with bulling, lunging tactics that broke the guard of the Colombian multiple times. But in the middle rounds, Enrique came back and started to put on a boxing clinic on Raul. By the 12th round, Rojas had multiple welts and mouses around his eyes and bleeding heavily by the nose. But just like Vicente, Raul persevered and in the 12th, he caught Higgins with a right hand, followed by a left and another right, and with that Enrique hit the canvas. he rose to his feet at the count of 8, came back out, and went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the round. For the next two rounds, Higgins attempted to regain what he had in the middle rounds, but it was gone and Rojas continued to batter him for the remainder of the fight. When the end came, it was almost too close to call, but in the end, it was a unanimous decision for Raul. And with that Raul Rojas was the new WBA Featherweight Champion...If only for a little while. A few months after he won the title, he would lose it in his first defense against Japan's Shozo Saijo. From then on, the WBA Featherweight title would transition to multiple legends such as Ernesto Marcel of Panama, Ruben Olivares, Nicaguragan Legend Alexis Arguello, Panama's Eusebio Pedroza & Barry McGuigan of Ireland. Meanwhile, for the WBC, the top X contenders were none other than Saldivar's toughest opponents; Howard Winstone & Mitsunori Seki. For both men, it was their 4th attempt at trying to capture the Featherweight title, for Seki, it was his 5th attempt for a world title overall, and for Winstone, it was his first attempt at the title without Vicente there to defend it. With Saldivar watching among the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Welshmen & the Japanese battled for the vacant WBC title. Both men put forth a gutsy effort, but Winstone was overall the better fighter, and he managed to cut Seki over his right eye. Upon being cut, the referee called a halt to bout to have look at the eye, which he decided was too dangerous to continue, and just like that, Howard Winstone was finally the Featherweight Champion of The World...But just like Raul Rojas, his reign wouldn't last long. After a non-title fight against BBBofC Super Featherweight Champion Jimmy Anderson, Howard would defend the title for the first time against a former opponent: Cuban-Spaniard, Jose Legra. Known as "Pocket Cassius Clay" for having an uncanny resemblance to Ali, both physically and in his fighting style, and born in Baracoa, Cuba, Legra turned pro in 1960 and spent his first four years fighting in Cuba, Mexico, & Miami, Florida. When Fidel Castro slapped on the ban on professional boxing, Jose found himself in the same predicament that Sugar Ramos, Jose Napoles, and many other Cuban boxers found themselves in. But unlike other Cuban boxers who escaped to either Mexico or the U.S, Legra decided to go to Spain instead. That's where he went and that's where he stayed, gaining Spanish citizenship in 1966. from 1963 to 1965, Jose fought XX times, winning XX and drawing X. That unbeaten streak was broken by none other than Howard Winstone, before his first fight with Saldivar. After the loss to Winstone, Legra would bounce back and go on a four year, XX fight winning streak, winning the vacant EBU Featherweight title in the process. Then in 1968, he finally got his shot at the Featherweight title, as well as a chance at revenge as the WBC title was in the hands of Winstone. The effects of the fights with Vicente finally came out for Howard, as Jose knocked him down X times in the 1st round with looping overhand rights which also caused Winstone's left eye to swell quickly. For the next X rounds, Legra batter Howard from pillar to post, landing punches almost at will, and most of them hitting the swollen left eye. Then finally in the 5th round, with Jose landing multiple rights & Winstone almost completely helpless, referee Harry Gibbs decided enough was enough and mercifully stopped the fight. For Howard, it would be his last fight as he retired afterward, leaving a record of 61-6(27 KOs), and Legra, he was now the new WBC Featherweight Champion. But it seemed as if the Featherweight Championship had some kind of curse on it. After two non-title fights in Spain & Paris, France, Jose decided to make his first defense of the title. For his 1st defense, he would head into neutral territory as he would take on a fighter he was fairly similar to him in terms of style and backstory; French-Australian, Johnny Famechon. Born as Jean-Pierre Famechon in Paris, France, Johnny was a highly skilled boxer whose greatest strength was his defense. He came from a prestigious boxing family. His father Andre Famechon was French Lightweight Champion, while his uncle Ray Famechon was French and EBU Featherweight Champion, and even challenged Willie Pep for the world Featherweight title in 1950, losing by unanimous decision. In 1948 Famechon's father and uncle Ray were offered to move to Australia and fight out of there. Andre took the offer and X years later brought the rest of his family over including Johnny. Once again, that's where he went & that's where he stayed. In 1961, with no amateur experience, Famechon decided to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps and made his professional debut, with his first bout ending up a draw. from 1961 to 1969, Johnny would build up a record of 47-4-6 (18 KOs), winning the Australian-Victorian State Featherweight title, the Australian Featherweight title, & the Commonwealth Featherweight title before getting his shot against Legra for the WBC title. In the battle between the talented dual nationality boxers, Famechon's defense carried him to victory as Jose couldn't find his range & got outboxed by the French-Australian. With all the activity happening within the Featherweight division, Saldivar must've grown restless. Even though he had retired as Featherweight Champion, and with an almost perfect record, that wasn't enough for him. He wanted more, he was a born fighter and born fighters can he hear every second of every day tick by as they search for purpose again. Within the X years the Featherweight division lapsed into chaos, Saldivar assessed whether or not he still had the drive, the ability, and the hunger to still compete at the highest level of the sport. And in end, he concluded that he still had those things. And so on July 18th, 1969, Vicente returned to the ring. For his first comeback fight, Vicente decided to take a risk and face Jose Legra at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles, California. At first, it seemed that the comeback would be a failure as Legra continuously tagged Saldivar with multiple right hands early rounds, and it seemed that it was all but confirmed when Jose floored him in the 3rd round with a right to the chin. But like always, Vicente persevered, he got up and in the 4th round, Saldivar returned to his old ways as he began hitting Legra's body with his ferocious body attack. It would prove to be the difference as Jose tired and Vicente grew stronger and sharper, tagging the Cuban-Spaniard with multiple left hands and staggering him in the 9th and 10th rounds. When the scorecards were read, it was a unanimous decision for the Mexican. It was official: Vicente Saldivar was back. Two weeks after Vicente's comeback win, Johnny Famechon made his first defense of the WBC Featherweight title. For his first defense, Johnny decided to have a homecoming bout as he would return to Australia against Fighting Harada of Japan. Born as Masahiko Harada in Tokyo, Japan, Harada began his career as a Flyweight in 1960 and amassed a record of 26-1 with XX KOs(Among his first opponents would be respected Japanese official Ken Morita & future Flyweight Champion Hiroyuki Ebihara) before receiving his first title shot in 1962 against Thailand legend Pone Kingpetch, knocking him out in the 11th round. His reign as Flyweight king wouldn't last long as Kingpetch would regain the title a year later, beating Masahiko by majority decision. Harada would then move up in weight, and in 1965 would become Bantamweight Champion, making X successful defenses before losing that title to another Australian, Lionel Rose. Masahiko decided to move up in weight again and go after the Featherweight title, the only thing standing between him and the championship was Famechon. Their fight would be an intense one as Harada floored Johnny in rounds 2, 11, & 14, while Famechon would score his own down in round X. At the end of the fight, Willie Pep, the referee and the only judge, initially declared the fight a draw, much to the dismay of Johnny's hometown crowd. It was then that Pep changed his scorecard, awarding Famechon the fight & allowing him to retain the title. Following a non-title victory over future Bantamweight Champion, Arnold Taylor, Famechon decided to give Masahiko another shot, going into Harada's hometown. This time Johnny would leave no doubts as he outboxed Masahiko, and in the 14th, knocked him out. It would be Harada's last fight as he would retire afterwards with a record of 55-7 (22 KOs). With the threat of Fighting Harada gone, the stage was now set for Famechon vs Saldivar. The fight would in neutral territory as it would take place at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Roma, Italy. Vicente started strong, throwing his left hands and pounding away at Johnny's body while Famechon boxed from the outside and kept his jab constant. As the fight wore on, Saldivar started having trouble with Famechon who'd decided to pick up the pace, making Vicente miss with his defensive tactics and coming back with his own punches which caused Saldivar's right eye to swell, it was as if Vicente had entered the ring with Howard Winstone for the 4th time. In the 10th, Johnny turned up the tempo of his attack, targeting Saldivar's already swollen right eye. But Vicente, like he always had, persevered and in the 13th, he finally caught his man as Johnny's foot got tangled with Saldivar's, Vicente used the opportunity to land a left hook and with those combined forces, Famechon fell to the canvas. He took the mandatory-eight count, got up, & continued on. Once the referee waved him back in, Saldivar went straight at Johnny and fired away with shots, Famechon refused to back down and fired some of his own shots until the end of the round. The last two rounds mostly followed the same pattern; Vicente pressuring Johnny and firing away with body shots and left hands, while Famechon boxed from the outside throwing jabs to ward off Saldivar. With Vicente's early lead, Johnny's late rally, & the knockdown in the 13th, the fight was almost too close to call, but ultimately, the two judges, & the referee decided that Saldivar had done to warrant him the decision. With that, history was made in Italy when Vicente Saldivar became once again, the Featherweight Champion of the World. It would also be Johnny Famechon's last fight at he would retire afterwards at the age of only XX with a record of 56-5-6(20 KOs). But unlike last time, his reign wouldn't be long as X months later, he would make his first defense of his newly reclaimed title at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana against a relatively unknown Japanese fighter by the name of Kuniaki Shibata. Born in Hitachi, Japan, Shibata had turned pro in 1965 and built up a record of 23-1-1(15 KOs) before fighting for his first championship, the OPBF Featherweight title, against Hubert Kang of South Korea, losing by 6th-round KO. Kuniaki rebounded from the loss and won X fights before claiming the vacant Japanese Featherweight title against Yasuo Sakurai. He immediately vacated that title to pursue the world title, getting his first shot against Vicente. Shibata seized the opportunity for as soon as the bell rang to begin the fight, he came out of the corner, touched gloves with Saldivar, and went guns blazing, pitting Vicente in the neutral corner and firing away at his head and body. Saldivar got out of the corner and started box Kuniaki, firing jabs and his signature left hand, attempting to ward off the young, aggressive Japanese challenger. This was the pattern the first half of the fight followed; Shibata applying the pressure much like how Vicente used to while Saldivar himself used his boxing skills from the outside, and for a while, that pattern worked in Vicente's favor. But even though he had the lead, Kuniaki would not bend like Saldivar's previous opponents & Shibata gradually took control of the fight in the mid rounds, causing a cut on Saldivar's right cheek and punishing him heavily in the 10th. To Vicente's credit, he managed to come back and rally in the 11th, but even then, Shibata was still landing with jabs, right hands, & left hooks. Then in the 12th, Saldivar got caught with a straight right counter that hurt him. He managed to stay on his feet and finish the round, but it was clear that Vicente, cut underneath the right eye and also bleeding from the nose, was a beaten man, he was just not the same fighter he was back when he rallied to win against Howard Winstone or Mitsunori Seki; the only thing he had at this point was the heart and guts as he wanted to continue, but his trainer Adolfo Peres (Who had worked with former Bantamweight Champion, Raul Macias) wouldn't allow him to gain further punishment and didn't let him go out for 13th round. For the first time since Baby Luis all those years ago, and for the first time in a championship fight, Vicente Saldivar had lost, and now Kuniaki Shibata was the new WBC Featherweight Champion. After the loss to Shibata, Saldivar stayed out of the ring for seven months, before returning in July of 1971 against contender and former world title challenger "Irish" Frankie Crawford. Born in Los Angeles (Other sources say Cleveland, Ohio), Crawford turned pro in 1965 and rose up the Featherweight rankings quickly, becoming a fan favorite in the city of angels where he fought often. He'd built up a record of 21-5-1 with XX KOs before catching his big break when he was matched with up and coming Mexican-American Mando Ramos. Despite being outweighed by seven pounds(Frankie was just above the Featherweight limit at XXX lbs while Mando was just underneath the Lightweight limit at XXX lbs), Crawford put fourth a tremendous performance, opening up a cut over Ramos' left eye and keeping it a bloody mess en route a competitive majority decision victory. The two would have a rematch four months later, only this time Mando would have complete control of the fight, keeping Frankie at bay with his long jab and consistently landing with his right hand, winning the fight via unanimous decision. Following the bouts with Ramos, Crawford would fight XX times in X years (going 9-3-3 and winning the USA California State Featherweight title) before receiving another major break: A title shot against then WBA Featherweight Champion, Shozo Saijo. Initially, it looked as if Frankie would finally achieve his dream of becoming champion as he managed to drop Shozo with a left hook in the first round. To his credit, Saijo would get up and managed to stagger Crawford in the 9th and 10th rounds, the latter opening up a cut nearing Frankie's left ear. By the final round, both fighters were exhausted and clinched frequently. Crawford put fourth a tremendous effort, but in the end it was majority decision in favor of Shozo. Like with Mando Ramos, the two would have a rematch a year later. In a fight that was even closer than their first one, Saijo once again retained his title via unanimous decision. The bouts with Shozo would be the only time Crawford would fight for a world title. By the time Frankie faced Vicente at the Olympic Auditorium, he was on a X fight winning streak. In the beginning of the fight, Saldivar piled up an early lead by doing what had neglected to do against Kuniaki Shibata: Close the distance, cut off the ring, and bang the body of Frankie. The strategy worked well for the first X rounds and into the 4th round. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Crawford managed to get Vicente in the corner, and unleashed the same left hook that dropped Shozo Saijo. It didn't drop him, but the punch badly staggered Saldivar. Frankie, sensing an opportunity, slightly hesitated, then went in for the kill. But Saldivar, like he always had, preserved. Using all his experience, he managed to avoid the knockout blow and made it to the end of the round. Vicente regained his senses in between rounds, and in the 5th, he regained control of the fight,keeping it for the rest of the bout. When the bell rang to end the fight in the 10th round, Saldivar danced to his corner knowing he had scored a victory, and indeed he had, winning by unanimous decision. The fight with Frankie Crawford, in all likelihood, should've been the final curtain call for Vicente and initially, it was as he retired again soon after. He had nothing left to prove or do in the sport of boxing; he had won the Featherweight title twice, he had beaten all the top names, and he had all but cemented his legacy as one of the best Featherweights of all time... But despite everything, he still craved to fight as he had almost his whole life; It was all he knew. So, three years after his last fight, he stepped into the ring once again for another shot at the world title. In between his fight with Crawford and his second return to the ring, the Featherweight division was once again seeing frequent changes. Kuniaki Shibata, the man that beat Saldivar for the title, had made X defenses of the WBC crown (including a draw against future champion, Ernesto Marcel) before losing it to another Mexican named Clemente Sanchez by 3rd round knockout. After being stripped of the title for not making weight, Sanchez would lose to former champion Jose Legra, getting knocked down XX times en route to a 10th round TKO, and making Legra a two-time champion. But just like his last reign, Jose's time at the top would be brief as he would lose the title to another former champion in the form of Brazil's Eder Jofre.  XXX engagements  **Related Topics** [unanimous decision](/topic/unanimous-decision) [retirement](/topic/retirement) [Post Link](https://x.com/20thCentBoxIMM/status/1946120050550735012)
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20th Century Boxing: Icons, Memories & More @20thCentBoxIMM on x XXX followers
Created: 2025-07-18 08:09:11 UTC
Vicente Saldivar comes out of a brief retirement to win a 10-round unanimous decision over Jose Legra on July 18, 1969 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
UPI, which unofficially scored it 7-4 in favor of Saldivar, would write:
"Former world featherweight champion Vicente Saldivar, XXX 1/2, battered Jose Legra, 128, for a unanimous XX round decision last night and may have earned a crack at the title after a XX month retirement. Legra repeatedly stung the shorter Saldivar with right hand leads in the early rounds and floored him for a mandatory eight count in the 3rd with a right to the chin. But Saldivar began to hammer away at Legra's body in the 4th round and got stronger and sharper as the contest progressed. He staggered the tiring Legra twice in the 9th and had him on the verge of a knockdown throughout the final round."
"I felt it was the only evaluation I could get of myself." -Vicente Saldivar, on why he took on one of the toughest featherweights in the world for his first comeback bout.
Immediately after this bout Promoter George Parnassus offered world featherweight champion Johnny Famechon of Australia a $XXXXXX guarantee to fight Saldivar for the title.
Saldivar would win a 15-round UD over Famechon in May of 1970 for the WBC Featherweight Title.
Born in Cuba but fighting out of Spain, Jose Legra was a two-time WBC Featherweight Champion (1968-69 and 1972-73) who'd lose his title both times in his first defense. the first time to Johnny Famechon, the second to Eder Jofre.
129-11-4 with XX KO's, he fought from 1960-73, with wins over Rafiu King and Howard Winstone and losses to Johnny Famechon, Vicente Saldivar, Eder Jofre and, in his final career bout, to then rising featherweight contender Alexis Arguello.
Vicente Saldivar, 37-3-0 with XX KO wins, is a name that is forgotten by some but he was Mexico's first great Featherweight Champion well over a decade before the legendary Salvador Sanchez came along. Born in one of the barrios on the outskirts of Mexico City, Vicente Saldivar at an early age would often get into fights both on the streets and in school, and developed a reputation around the area. Fearing that Vicente would head down the wrong path, his father decided to try to guide his energy into a sport where you could get recognition and praise for fighting: Boxing. So he took Vicente into a boxing gym where he would fall in love with the sport and became a successful amateur, winning the Mexican Golden Gloves as a Bantamweight.
That victory would grant the 17-year-old Saldivar a spot on the Mexican Olympic team for the 1960 Olympics in Rome(The same Olympics where a young man named Cassius Clay would win a gold medal at Light Heavyweight). His Olympic dream wouldn't last long as he would be eliminated in the first round of the tournament against Ernst Chervet of Switzerland.
In his first few years as a pro, Saldivar built up a record of 16-0 (13 KOs) before he would suffer defeat at the hands of Cuba's Baby Luis via DQ in 1962. The following year he fixed the wrong by knocking out Luis in the 8th round of their rematch. He fought X more times that same year before, in 1964 he would get a chance to win the Mexican Featherweight title against Juan Ramirez, knocking him out in X rounds. He had defended the title once when he got an opportunity he couldn't refuse, a fight with the #1 ranked Featherweight at the time, Ismael Laguna of Panama, with the winner receiving a shot at the title.
By the time he faced Saldivar, Ismael Laguna's record was at 34-1 and he had already won the Panamanian Featherweight title.
In the battle of the two Ffeatherweight prospects, Saldivar would take a XX round decision and, with the victory, get his shot at the world title.
That same year, he would fight the then WBC and WBA Featherweight Champion, Cuban-Mexican Sugar Ramos.
The fight was at El Toreo de Cuatro Caminos in Mexico City and most experts chose Ramos to win the fight, believing Ultiminio's experience would ultimately win the day over Saldivar's raw aggression and power. However, in an epic and thrilling war between the two men fighting out of Mexico City, Saldivar surprised many by taking the initiative and wearing down the Cuban-Mexican with his vicious body attack. It was simply too much for Ramos, and after the 11th round, he retired on his stool. Vicente Saldivar was now the new WBA and WBC Featherweight Champion. Saldivar would make seven title defenses, retiring after his third win over "The Welsh Wizard", Howard Winstone, in 1967.
From boxrec:
Upon Vicente's retirement, the WBA & WBC declared the Featherweight Championship vacant and ordered their top contenders to fight for their respective titles. For the WBA, the top X contenders were Saldivar's former opponent Raul Rojas, & Enrique Higgins of Colombia. In the beginning, Rojas took the lead against Higgins with bulling, lunging tactics that broke the guard of the Colombian multiple times. But in the middle rounds, Enrique came back and started to put on a boxing clinic on Raul. By the 12th round, Rojas had multiple welts and mouses around his eyes and bleeding heavily by the nose. But just like Vicente, Raul persevered and in the 12th, he caught Higgins with a right hand, followed by a left and another right, and with that Enrique hit the canvas. he rose to his feet at the count of 8, came back out, and went toe-to-toe for the remainder of the round. For the next two rounds, Higgins attempted to regain what he had in the middle rounds, but it was gone and Rojas continued to batter him for the remainder of the fight. When the end came, it was almost too close to call, but in the end, it was a unanimous decision for Raul. And with that Raul Rojas was the new WBA Featherweight Champion...If only for a little while. A few months after he won the title, he would lose it in his first defense against Japan's Shozo Saijo.
From then on, the WBA Featherweight title would transition to multiple legends such as Ernesto Marcel of Panama, Ruben Olivares, Nicaguragan Legend Alexis Arguello, Panama's Eusebio Pedroza & Barry McGuigan of Ireland.
Meanwhile, for the WBC, the top X contenders were none other than Saldivar's toughest opponents; Howard Winstone & Mitsunori Seki. For both men, it was their 4th attempt at trying to capture the Featherweight title, for Seki, it was his 5th attempt for a world title overall, and for Winstone, it was his first attempt at the title without Vicente there to defend it. With Saldivar watching among the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall in London, the Welshmen & the Japanese battled for the vacant WBC title. Both men put forth a gutsy effort, but Winstone was overall the better fighter, and he managed to cut Seki over his right eye. Upon being cut, the referee called a halt to bout to have look at the eye, which he decided was too dangerous to continue, and just like that, Howard Winstone was finally the Featherweight Champion of The World...But just like Raul Rojas, his reign wouldn't last long. After a non-title fight against BBBofC Super Featherweight Champion Jimmy Anderson, Howard would defend the title for the first time against a former opponent: Cuban-Spaniard, Jose Legra.
Known as "Pocket Cassius Clay" for having an uncanny resemblance to Ali, both physically and in his fighting style, and born in Baracoa, Cuba, Legra turned pro in 1960 and spent his first four years fighting in Cuba, Mexico, & Miami, Florida. When Fidel Castro slapped on the ban on professional boxing, Jose found himself in the same predicament that Sugar Ramos, Jose Napoles, and many other Cuban boxers found themselves in. But unlike other Cuban boxers who escaped to either Mexico or the U.S, Legra decided to go to Spain instead. That's where he went and that's where he stayed, gaining Spanish citizenship in 1966. from 1963 to 1965, Jose fought XX times, winning XX and drawing X. That unbeaten streak was broken by none other than Howard Winstone, before his first fight with Saldivar. After the loss to Winstone, Legra would bounce back and go on a four year, XX fight winning streak, winning the vacant EBU Featherweight title in the process. Then in 1968, he finally got his shot at the Featherweight title, as well as a chance at revenge as the WBC title was in the hands of Winstone. The effects of the fights with Vicente finally came out for Howard, as Jose knocked him down X times in the 1st round with looping overhand rights which also caused Winstone's left eye to swell quickly. For the next X rounds, Legra batter Howard from pillar to post, landing punches almost at will, and most of them hitting the swollen left eye. Then finally in the 5th round, with Jose landing multiple rights & Winstone almost completely helpless, referee Harry Gibbs decided enough was enough and mercifully stopped the fight. For Howard, it would be his last fight as he retired afterward, leaving a record of 61-6(27 KOs), and Legra, he was now the new WBC Featherweight Champion.
But it seemed as if the Featherweight Championship had some kind of curse on it. After two non-title fights in Spain & Paris, France, Jose decided to make his first defense of the title. For his 1st defense, he would head into neutral territory as he would take on a fighter he was fairly similar to him in terms of style and backstory; French-Australian, Johnny Famechon. Born as Jean-Pierre Famechon in Paris, France, Johnny was a highly skilled boxer whose greatest strength was his defense. He came from a prestigious boxing family. His father Andre Famechon was French Lightweight Champion, while his uncle Ray Famechon was French and EBU Featherweight Champion, and even challenged Willie Pep for the world Featherweight title in 1950, losing by unanimous decision. In 1948 Famechon's father and uncle Ray were offered to move to Australia and fight out of there. Andre took the offer and X years later brought the rest of his family over including Johnny. Once again, that's where he went & that's where he stayed. In 1961, with no amateur experience, Famechon decided to follow in his father and uncle's footsteps and made his professional debut, with his first bout ending up a draw. from 1961 to 1969, Johnny would build up a record of 47-4-6 (18 KOs), winning the Australian-Victorian State Featherweight title, the Australian Featherweight title, & the Commonwealth Featherweight title before getting his shot against Legra for the WBC title. In the battle between the talented dual nationality boxers, Famechon's defense carried him to victory as Jose couldn't find his range & got outboxed by the French-Australian.
With all the activity happening within the Featherweight division, Saldivar must've grown restless. Even though he had retired as Featherweight Champion, and with an almost perfect record, that wasn't enough for him. He wanted more, he was a born fighter and born fighters can he hear every second of every day tick by as they search for purpose again. Within the X years the Featherweight division lapsed into chaos, Saldivar assessed whether or not he still had the drive, the ability, and the hunger to still compete at the highest level of the sport. And in end, he concluded that he still had those things. And so on July 18th, 1969, Vicente returned to the ring. For his first comeback fight, Vicente decided to take a risk and face Jose Legra at the Inglewood Forum in Los Angeles, California.
At first, it seemed that the comeback would be a failure as Legra continuously tagged Saldivar with multiple right hands early rounds, and it seemed that it was all but confirmed when Jose floored him in the 3rd round with a right to the chin. But like always, Vicente persevered, he got up and in the 4th round, Saldivar returned to his old ways as he began hitting Legra's body with his ferocious body attack. It would prove to be the difference as Jose tired and Vicente grew stronger and sharper, tagging the Cuban-Spaniard with multiple left hands and staggering him in the 9th and 10th rounds. When the scorecards were read, it was a unanimous decision for the Mexican. It was official: Vicente Saldivar was back.
Two weeks after Vicente's comeback win, Johnny Famechon made his first defense of the WBC Featherweight title. For his first defense, Johnny decided to have a homecoming bout as he would return to Australia against Fighting Harada of Japan.
Born as Masahiko Harada in Tokyo, Japan, Harada began his career as a Flyweight in 1960 and amassed a record of 26-1 with XX KOs(Among his first opponents would be respected Japanese official Ken Morita & future Flyweight Champion Hiroyuki Ebihara) before receiving his first title shot in 1962 against Thailand legend Pone Kingpetch, knocking him out in the 11th round. His reign as Flyweight king wouldn't last long as Kingpetch would regain the title a year later, beating Masahiko by majority decision. Harada would then move up in weight, and in 1965 would become Bantamweight Champion, making X successful defenses before losing that title to another Australian, Lionel Rose. Masahiko decided to move up in weight again and go after the Featherweight title, the only thing standing between him and the championship was Famechon.
Their fight would be an intense one as Harada floored Johnny in rounds 2, 11, & 14, while Famechon would score his own down in round X. At the end of the fight, Willie Pep, the referee and the only judge, initially declared the fight a draw, much to the dismay of Johnny's hometown crowd. It was then that Pep changed his scorecard, awarding Famechon the fight & allowing him to retain the title. Following a non-title victory over future Bantamweight Champion, Arnold Taylor, Famechon decided to give Masahiko another shot, going into Harada's hometown. This time Johnny would leave no doubts as he outboxed Masahiko, and in the 14th, knocked him out. It would be Harada's last fight as he would retire afterwards with a record of 55-7 (22 KOs).
With the threat of Fighting Harada gone, the stage was now set for Famechon vs Saldivar. The fight would in neutral territory as it would take place at the Palazzetto dello Sport in Roma, Italy. Vicente started strong, throwing his left hands and pounding away at Johnny's body while Famechon boxed from the outside and kept his jab constant. As the fight wore on, Saldivar started having trouble with Famechon who'd decided to pick up the pace, making Vicente miss with his defensive tactics and coming back with his own punches which caused Saldivar's right eye to swell, it was as if Vicente had entered the ring with Howard Winstone for the 4th time. In the 10th, Johnny turned up the tempo of his attack, targeting Saldivar's already swollen right eye. But Vicente, like he always had, persevered and in the 13th, he finally caught his man as Johnny's foot got tangled with Saldivar's, Vicente used the opportunity to land a left hook and with those combined forces, Famechon fell to the canvas. He took the mandatory-eight count, got up, & continued on. Once the referee waved him back in, Saldivar went straight at Johnny and fired away with shots, Famechon refused to back down and fired some of his own shots until the end of the round. The last two rounds mostly followed the same pattern; Vicente pressuring Johnny and firing away with body shots and left hands, while Famechon boxed from the outside throwing jabs to ward off Saldivar. With Vicente's early lead, Johnny's late rally, & the knockdown in the 13th, the fight was almost too close to call, but ultimately, the two judges, & the referee decided that Saldivar had done to warrant him the decision. With that, history was made in Italy when Vicente Saldivar became once again, the Featherweight Champion of the World. It would also be Johnny Famechon's last fight at he would retire afterwards at the age of only XX with a record of 56-5-6(20 KOs).
But unlike last time, his reign wouldn't be long as X months later, he would make his first defense of his newly reclaimed title at the Auditorio Municipal in Tijuana against a relatively unknown Japanese fighter by the name of Kuniaki Shibata. Born in Hitachi, Japan, Shibata had turned pro in 1965 and built up a record of 23-1-1(15 KOs) before fighting for his first championship, the OPBF Featherweight title, against Hubert Kang of South Korea, losing by 6th-round KO. Kuniaki rebounded from the loss and won X fights before claiming the vacant Japanese Featherweight title against Yasuo Sakurai. He immediately vacated that title to pursue the world title, getting his first shot against Vicente. Shibata seized the opportunity for as soon as the bell rang to begin the fight, he came out of the corner, touched gloves with Saldivar, and went guns blazing, pitting Vicente in the neutral corner and firing away at his head and body. Saldivar got out of the corner and started box Kuniaki, firing jabs and his signature left hand, attempting to ward off the young, aggressive Japanese challenger. This was the pattern the first half of the fight followed; Shibata applying the pressure much like how Vicente used to while Saldivar himself used his boxing skills from the outside, and for a while, that pattern worked in Vicente's favor. But even though he had the lead, Kuniaki would not bend like Saldivar's previous opponents & Shibata gradually took control of the fight in the mid rounds, causing a cut on Saldivar's right cheek and punishing him heavily in the 10th. To Vicente's credit, he managed to come back and rally in the 11th, but even then, Shibata was still landing with jabs, right hands, & left hooks. Then in the 12th, Saldivar got caught with a straight right counter that hurt him. He managed to stay on his feet and finish the round, but it was clear that Vicente, cut underneath the right eye and also bleeding from the nose, was a beaten man, he was just not the same fighter he was back when he rallied to win against Howard Winstone or Mitsunori Seki; the only thing he had at this point was the heart and guts as he wanted to continue, but his trainer Adolfo Peres (Who had worked with former Bantamweight Champion, Raul Macias) wouldn't allow him to gain further punishment and didn't let him go out for 13th round. For the first time since Baby Luis all those years ago, and for the first time in a championship fight, Vicente Saldivar had lost, and now Kuniaki Shibata was the new WBC Featherweight Champion.
After the loss to Shibata, Saldivar stayed out of the ring for seven months, before returning in July of 1971 against contender and former world title challenger "Irish" Frankie Crawford. Born in Los Angeles (Other sources say Cleveland, Ohio), Crawford turned pro in 1965 and rose up the Featherweight rankings quickly, becoming a fan favorite in the city of angels where he fought often. He'd built up a record of 21-5-1 with XX KOs before catching his big break when he was matched with up and coming Mexican-American Mando Ramos. Despite being outweighed by seven pounds(Frankie was just above the Featherweight limit at XXX lbs while Mando was just underneath the Lightweight limit at XXX lbs), Crawford put fourth a tremendous performance, opening up a cut over Ramos' left eye and keeping it a bloody mess en route a competitive majority decision victory. The two would have a rematch four months later, only this time Mando would have complete control of the fight, keeping Frankie at bay with his long jab and consistently landing with his right hand, winning the fight via unanimous decision.
Following the bouts with Ramos, Crawford would fight XX times in X years (going 9-3-3 and winning the USA California State Featherweight title) before receiving another major break: A title shot against then WBA Featherweight Champion, Shozo Saijo. Initially, it looked as if Frankie would finally achieve his dream of becoming champion as he managed to drop Shozo with a left hook in the first round. To his credit, Saijo would get up and managed to stagger Crawford in the 9th and 10th rounds, the latter opening up a cut nearing Frankie's left ear. By the final round, both fighters were exhausted and clinched frequently. Crawford put fourth a tremendous effort, but in the end it was majority decision in favor of Shozo. Like with Mando Ramos, the two would have a rematch a year later. In a fight that was even closer than their first one, Saijo once again retained his title via unanimous decision. The bouts with Shozo would be the only time Crawford would fight for a world title. By the time Frankie faced Vicente at the Olympic Auditorium, he was on a X fight winning streak. In the beginning of the fight, Saldivar piled up an early lead by doing what had neglected to do against Kuniaki Shibata: Close the distance, cut off the ring, and bang the body of Frankie. The strategy worked well for the first X rounds and into the 4th round. Then seemingly out of nowhere, Crawford managed to get Vicente in the corner, and unleashed the same left hook that dropped Shozo Saijo. It didn't drop him, but the punch badly staggered Saldivar. Frankie, sensing an opportunity, slightly hesitated, then went in for the kill. But Saldivar, like he always had, preserved. Using all his experience, he managed to avoid the knockout blow and made it to the end of the round. Vicente regained his senses in between rounds, and in the 5th, he regained control of the fight,keeping it for the rest of the bout. When the bell rang to end the fight in the 10th round, Saldivar danced to his corner knowing he had scored a victory, and indeed he had, winning by unanimous decision.
The fight with Frankie Crawford, in all likelihood, should've been the final curtain call for Vicente and initially, it was as he retired again soon after. He had nothing left to prove or do in the sport of boxing; he had won the Featherweight title twice, he had beaten all the top names, and he had all but cemented his legacy as one of the best Featherweights of all time... But despite everything, he still craved to fight as he had almost his whole life; It was all he knew. So, three years after his last fight, he stepped into the ring once again for another shot at the world title.
In between his fight with Crawford and his second return to the ring, the Featherweight division was once again seeing frequent changes.
Kuniaki Shibata, the man that beat Saldivar for the title, had made X defenses of the WBC crown (including a draw against future champion, Ernesto Marcel) before losing it to another Mexican named Clemente Sanchez by 3rd round knockout. After being stripped of the title for not making weight, Sanchez would lose to former champion Jose Legra, getting knocked down XX times en route to a 10th round TKO, and making Legra a two-time champion.
But just like his last reign, Jose's time at the top would be brief as he would lose the title to another former champion in the form of Brazil's Eder Jofre.
XXX engagements
Related Topics unanimous decision retirement